Radiator and other welded structure



July 28, 1931. T. E. MURRAY, JR.. ET AL RADIATOR AND OTHER WELDED STRUCTURE 1927 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed July 5 A TTORNEY MW,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5. 1927 T. E. MURRAY, JR.. ET AL RADIATOR AND OTHER WELDED STRUCTURE aulyzs, 1931.

Patented July 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. MURRAY, JR., AND IRVING '1. BENNETT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AS-

SIGNORS, BY TION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO MURRAY RADIATOR CORPORA-w RADIATOR AND OTHER WELDED STRUCTURE Application filed July 5, 1927. Serial No. 203,437.

In a certain previous application of Murray, No. 709,080, filed April 26, 192 1, which has matured into Patent No. 1,7 14,078, granted Jan. 21, 1930, there is described a type of radiator with a steam pipe or similar heating element to the back and front of which are applied transverse plates forming an extended radiating surface which conducts the heat rapidly to the surrounding air and circulates the heated air rapidly; and this principle is embodied in several other pending Murray applications.

In our application No. 168,272, filed February 15, 1927, there is described a radiator of the same structurewith the radiating plates fastened in place by welding. The present invention aims to provide certain improvements adapted to this and similar types of radiator and to other structures.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete radiator;

Fig. 2 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through Fig. 2 at the lowest section of tubing;

Figs. 1 and 5 are vertical sections on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, before and after the welding operation respectively;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged diagram illustrating the structure of the weld;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are sectional views before welding, illustrating different methods in detail;

Fig. 10 is a section similar to Fig. 5 illustrating a unit type of construction;

Figs. 11 and 12 are similar views illustrating modifications.

In Figs. 1 to 5, the heating element is a pipe arranged in three approximately horizontal lengths 1, 2 and 3, connected by bends at alternate ends so that the steam or other heating medium flows through it continuously. Or they may be arranged in parallel with headers at opposite ends. One or more pipe lengths or other heating elements may be used.

The radiating structure comprises metal sheets corrugated in horizontal section and forming short longitudinal portions 4 and 6 connected by transverse plates or fins 5. The

is a front elevation of one end inner longitudinal 'ortions 4 engage the pipe 1 at the front and ack and conduct the heat therefrom to the plates 5 and 6 which transmit it to the surrounding air and form vertical fiues or chimneys to induce a rapid circulation. The radiator is adapted to be used with any of. the usual heating mediums; but the rapid dissipation of the heat through the close contact with the pipe and the I rapid conduction through the extended fins, together with the rapid circulation of air induced, adapt it particularly for use with high temperature steam or electricity or wherever there is a wide temperature differential between the air and the heating medium.

The heating element and the radiating structure may be of various metals. We prefer to make the pipe of copper or an alloy thereof to assist in the rapid operation described, although a ferrous metal may be used. In a particular instance we have made it of tinned copper tubing.

The present invention is particularly useful where the radiating structure is also made of cuprous metal (copper or copper alloy) though for economy we may use ferrous metal (iron or steel or iron alloy).

Ve propose to secure the radiating structure by a certain welding method to the heating element, which has certain advantages over soldering and other methods previously proposed, particularly in effecting a joint which is not liable to loosen by the use of the radiator and the expansion and contraction of the parts.

The inner angles of the corrugations, represented by the plate 4, are recessed in line with the pipes so as to embrace the latter and are welded together at points beyond the pipe and on opposite sides thereof in a way to embrace the pipe closel andto provide an extended contact for tile free transmission of heat. Welding straps 7 are shaped similarly to the parts 4 and are placed against the outer faces of the latter and welded joints 8 are made just above and below the pipes extending between the opposite straps 7 and through the parts 4.

Fig. 4 shows the plates 4 with recessed portions 9 embracing the pipe closely and similarly embraced by the straps 7 and their figures.

recessed portions 10. In the welding operation the opposite electrodes are located as closely as possible to the pipe so that when the weld is completed as in Fig. 5 there is practically a close fit of the plates 4 and straps 7 all around the pipe. 1

This method is particularly adapted for use where the radiating structure is of copper. In that case the straps may be of steel and the resulting weld will be of the character indicated in Fig. 6. The metal of the straps is pressed in slightly as at.11. The heat and pressure cause the interposed copper sheets at this point to alloy with or dissolve into the steel so that there is a central zone 12 of copper iron alloy. At the same time some of the copper from the sheets 4 is softened and forced down in the form of a fillet 13 against the pipe 1. The recessed portions 9 are pressed so closely-against the pipe as in their heated condition to make a very intimate union with the latter.

We prefer to use the projection method of welding in which, in order to localize the heat, a projection is formed between the parts to be welded. In Fig. 7 one of the straps 7 is pressed outto a point 14 for this purpose. Or, as in Fig. 8, a similar stray 7 b may be punched to provide a tubular projection 15.

r as in Fig. 9 a similar strap 7 may be slitted and bent out to form a tongue 16. Va-

rious other methods are known of providing such projections. We prefer to form the projections on only one of the two cooperating straps. This is sufficient to secure a' good weld and avoids the necessity of bringing projections from rate registration with each other.

Fig. 10 illustrates the application of the inventionto a radiator made on the unit system. The radiator is manufactured in such units comprising .a single length of the heat- 1 ing element with a radiating structure of corresponding extent. Such units may bemade in different lengths and may be combined in different groupings to produce radiators of various capacities.

Units of this character comprising a tube with radiating fins on it are at present used for many diflerent purposes, radiator work,

- refrigerator work, air purification, and so is the same as forth. The length and diameter of the tube and the size and spacing of the fins and their individual design will, of course, be varied according to the use to which the unit is to e put.

The invention is applicable to special cases in which a radiating structure is applied to only one side of the heating element as in Fig. 11 where it is shown for a unit similar to Fig. 10, though the same modification is-applicable to the type shown in Fig. 2. In this case the strap 7 on the .side of the radiating structure that described in the previous two opposite straps into accu- The strap 7 is similar in principle but it is shaped to bear directly against the outer side of the heating element 1 and to clamp between it and the strap 7 the single thickness of the plate 4 of the radiatingstructure. I

Fig. 12 illustrates the application of the invention to an electric heater consisting of a strip extending longitudinally in the same way as the steam pipes previously described. The heater has a shell 17 Within which is a ribbon 18 of resistant material encased in a non-conducting body 19. This figure shows such a heating element applied to a unit type of radiator, but it may be used in the multiple type of Fig. 2 or the one-sided type of Fig. ,11 equally *well. The only difference compared with the previous constructions is in the shape given to the portions of the plates 4 and of the straps which embrace the heating element.

As illustrated, one plate has a flat-portion 20 and the other a recessed portion 21 to embrace the heating element. And similarly, one strap 7 has a flat portion 22 and the other strap 7 a recessed portion 23 embracing the heating element. The welds 8 and the method of forming them may be the same as in the previous figures. The shapes of the sheets 4 and of the straps 7 may be varied according to the shape of the heating element and according to the lateral position of the latter With relation to the two sides of the radiator. In Fig. 12 the heating element is located at one side, so that only the corrugated plate atone side is applicable to the constructions shown in the other figures.

The described method of uniting the radiating structures to the heating elements and of electrical current so that all or a needs to be recessed. The same idea large number of such welds may be made at one operation by meansof electrodes having contact points at the desired locations. Thus, the heating elements, radiating structure and straps being properly assembled may be pressed together and united in one operation of an electric welding machine of the type illustrated, for example, in application N 0. 91,023 filed February 27, 1926. l

The radiators illustrated, and those described in the previous applications above referred to may without change in principle be used for cooling the air of a room instead of heating it. For this purpose a cold brine or other liquid will be passed through the pipes instead of steam, constituting thus what might be called a negative heating medium. With such use of the radiator there is a rapid ment or pipe, which is similar to the rapid transmission of heat when steam is used.

1 Likewise there is a high efliciency in the cooling of the air in the flues which induces a rapid flow downward through the flues and thus a rapid circulation and cooling of the air in a room.

Where the straps are of steel or other metal of comparatively low thermal coefficient of expansion and the tube or radiating structure or both are of copper or other metal of comparatively high coeflicient of thermal expansion, there is a special advantage. When the temperature of the tube is raised it will exand more than the embracing steel slraps and thus will be forced into a more intimate contact with the radiating structure. This is a condition most desirable because it provides a joint or contact which will conduct the heat away from the heating element more rapidly as the temperature rises in the latter. The expansion of the steel strap when the radiator is hot will be within its limit of elasticity so that when the radiator cools the parts will be restored to their original dimensions with a union which is close enough to avoid rattling orother objection.

The method of welding described is applicable generally for the uniting of metals to produce other things than radiators. It is particularly useful in uniting metals whose electrical conductivity is high and which for that reason give trouble in electrical butt, spot or projection welding. Such metals, for example, are copper, aluminum and brass, particularly the first. The welding method is not claimed herein, being claimed in a separate co-pending application No. 203,438 filed July 5, 1927.

Various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

What we claim is:

1. A radiator including in combination a heating element, a radiating structure applied thereto and supplementary straps embracing the heating element and the radiating structure, said straps being welded-to each other.

2. A radiator including in combination a heating element, a radiating structure and fastening devices welded to each other through a part of the radiating structure for holding the latter in engagement with the heating element.

3. A radiator including in combination a heating element, a radiating structure in two parts applied to opposite sides of the heating element and means for holding the two parts of the radiating structure together comprising pieces applied to the outer faces thereof and welded to each other through said parts.

4. A radiator including in combination a heating element, a radiating structure consisting of corrugated plates with inner portions of the corrugations applied to opposite sides of the heating element and fastening devices on the, outer faces of such inner portions and welded to each other through the same.

5. A radiator includingin combination a heating element extending horizontally, a radiating structure applied thereto and-forming vertical flues and means for fastening the radiating structure to a heating element comprising pieces welded to each other through the radiating structure.

6. A radiator including in combination a tube for the heating medium, a radiating structure of copper comprising separate parts recessed to fit the tube and applied to opposite sides thereof and means for holding the parts of the radiating structure together comprising steel pieces engaging said parts beyond thevrecesses thereof and adjacent to the tube, the opposite steel pieces being united to each other so as to clamp the opposite parts of the radiating structure firmly on the tube.

7. A radiator comprising a horizontally extending heating element in combination with a radiating structure providing air flues extending in a substantially vertical direction enclosed at the sides, said radiating structure being held in intimate contact with said heating element by an additional strap so placed as to force the radiating structure tightly around the heating element.

8. A radiator comprising a horizontally extended heating element in combination with a radiating structure providing air flues extending in a substantially vertical direction enclosed at the sides, said radiating structure held in intimate contact by straps placed in pairs around a portion of the radiating structure and secured one to the other through the radiating structure at points close to the heating element.

9. A radiator comprising a horizontally extended heating element in combination with a radiating structure providing air flues extending in'a substantially vertical direction enclosed at the sides, said radiating structure held in intimate contact straps placed around a portion of the radiating structure and welded one to the other through the radiating structure at points close to the heating element.

10. A radiator comprising a heating element of small cross-section and a radiating structure of extended surface applied thereto comprising plates at opposite sides extending laterally outward from the heating element and having inner portions shaped to fit the t heating element and to extend lengthwise parallel thereto and additional devices engaging said inner portions and fastened to each other and thus fastening said inner portions to each other about the heating element.

by two additional 11'. A radiator including. in combination a heating element, a radiating structure .fas v tened about the heating element in close contact and a strap outside of the radiating structure for holding the parts together, the strap being of metal having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the heating element so that the intimacy of contact of the parts will be increased when the temperature of the heating element is raised.

12. A radiator including in combination a heating element, a radiating structure fastened about the heating element in close contact and a strap outside of the radiating structure for holding the parts together, the strap being of steel and the heating element of copper.

13. An article of manufacture consisting of a unit for heating or cooling or similar purposes, said unit comprising a tubular memher, an extended area structure and means for holding said parts in good heat conducting contact with each other comprising metal straps extending outside of the extended area structure and substantially completely around the circumference of the tubular member and having a lower coefficient of expansion than that of'the tubular member.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, the, straps being made in two portions welded together around the other parts.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 13, the extended area structure being shaped to fit around the circumference of the tubular ody so as to have a considerable area of heat conducting contact therewith.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

THOMAS E. MURRAY, J R. IRVING T. BENNETT. 

